Legislative Accomplishments

Keeping Hawai'i Strong 2022 Legislative Highlights

Strengthening Kaua'i (HB1600)

$200 million capital investment in our infrastructure, on to our roads, at our schools, at our hospitals, in our playgrounds and parks, across our island. This includes improvements for the Kauaʻi Veterans Memorial Hospital, Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital, Kōloa Elementary, Kauaʻi High School, Hanalei bridge, Wailua bridge, Lumahai hillside stabilization, Vidinha Stadium, Hanapēpē Stadium, Nāwiliwili Harbor, Port Allen Harbor, Kikiaola Harbor, Waimea Canyon State Park Complex, Polihale State Park, Wailua-Kapaʻa water systems, road widening, signals and guardrails.

Amplifying Teacher Recruitment (HB 1600)

$32.5 million to address teacher shortages at the University of Hawaiʻi as well as statewide, focusing on hard-to-staff areas, to recruit and retain special education teachers and to provide Hawaiian language immersion programs

Multiplying Housing for Native Hawaiians (HB 2511)

$600 million – Unprecedented funding for native Hawaiian housing and programs, at Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), and Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA).

Expanding Critical Health Services (HB1600)

New positions to increase outpatient Adult Mental Health and Family Health Services, and additional funding for emergency medical services.

Increasing Minimum Wages
(HB 2510)

Increased Hawai’i’s minimum wage to $18 an hour within six years and made permanent the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Enhancing Food Resiliency
(HB 1600)

$6 million to create a new Kekaha Agriculture Innovation Center for Waimea High School’s Farm to School program to boost fresh local products for school lunches and food security on Kaua’i.

Ron Kouchi | Capitol Improvement Projects
 

Lump Sum Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corporation – Kauaʻi Region, Kauaʻi

08.18.2022

Executive Chambers – Honolulu DAVID Y. IGE – GOVERNOR August 18, 2022 The Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi President of the Senate Thirty-First State Legislature State Capitol, Room 409 Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96813 Aloha Senator Kouchi: I am pleased to let you know that my administration has released funding for the following Capital…

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Ron Kouchi | Capitol Improvement Projects
 

Baseyard Building Structural Repairs, Lihue Airport

08.01.2022

Executive Chambers – Honolulu DAVID Y. IGE – GOVERNOR August 1, 2022 The Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi President of the Senate Thirty-First State Legislature State Capitol, Room 409 Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96813 Aloha Senator Kouchi: I am pleased to let you know that my administration has released funding for the following Capital…

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Ron Kouchi | Capitol Improvement Projects
 

Eleele Elem, Air Conditioning

06.28.2022

Executive Chambers – Honolulu DAVID Y. IGE – GOVERNOR June 28, 2022 The Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi President of the Senate Thirty-First State Legislature State Capitol, Room 409 Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96813 Aloha Senator Kouchi: I am pleased to let you know that my administration has released funding for the following Capital…

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Ron Kouchi | Press Releases
 

Governor David Ige Signs Menstrual Equity Bill Into Law

06.20.2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 20, 2022 Senate Communications: Jacob Aki 808-586-6261 Honolulu, Hawaiʻi — Today, in the presence of students, teachers and advocate groups, Governor David Ige signed SB 2821 SD2 HD1 CD1 into law. This measure requires the Department of Education to provide menstrual products free of charge to…

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Ron Kouchi | Press Releases
 

Senate President Kouchi Applauds $1.9 Million Department of Defense Grant Awarded to Mitigate Flood Impacts on Kauaʻi

06.17.2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 17, 2022 Senate Communications: Jacob Aki 808-586-6261 Līhuʻe, Kauai – Today, Senate President Ronald D. Kouchi (District 8 – Kauaʻi and Niʻihau) applauded the $1.9 million Department of Defense grant awarded by the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration program to three organizations on Kauaʻi. This grant…

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Ron Kouchi | Press Releases
 

Kaua‘i Student Selected to participate in PBS SRL’S 2022 Summer Academy

06.16.2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 14, 2022 Senate Communications: Jacob Aki 808-586-6261 Līhuʻe, Kauai – PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs (SRL) has selected Natalie Lett, a junior at Kauaʻi High School, to participate in its annual summer academy, which will take place at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona…

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Ron Kouchi | Capitol Improvement Projects
 

Hanapepe Health Center, Renovations, Repairs, Improvements

05.03.2022

Executive Chambers – Honolulu DAVID Y. IGE – GOVERNOR May 3, 2022 The Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi President of the Senate Thirty-First State Legislature State Capitol, Room 409 Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96813 Aloha Senator Kouchi: I am pleased to let you know that my administration has released funding for the following Capital…

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Ron Kouchi | Press Releases
 

Senate President Ronald D Kouchi announces Kaua‘i GIA Awardees

04.28.2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 28, 2022 Senate Communications: Jacob Aki 808-586-6291 Honolulu, Hawaiʻi – Senate President Ronald D. Kouchi (District 8 – Kauaʻi and Niʻihau) announced today the name of eleven (11) Kauaʻi organizations that were chosen to receive grant-in-aid (GIA) awards from the Hawaiʻi State Legislature. After a two-year…

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